Minnesota state prosecutors have called on the states Supreme Court to reject former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvins request to reconsider his conviction for the murder of George Floyd.
Chauvins attorney had asked the states highest court to hear the case after the Minnesota Court of Appeals rejected his arguments that he had been denied a fair trial. In response, the attorney generals office filed a response on Tuesday, asking the Supreme Court to let the ruling stand. The reply stated, "Petitioner received a fair trial and the benefit of a fulsome appellate review. It is time to bring this case to a close.
Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison after he kneeled on Floyds neck for nine and a half minutes, leading to Floyds death on May 25, 2020. Floyds death sparked protests worldwide and forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism that is still ongoing. Chauvins defense attorney, William Morhman, had unsuccessfully asked the Court of Appeals to throw out the ex-officers conviction for a long list of reasons, including the trial judges decision not to move the proceedings out of Minneapolis despite massive pretrial publicity and the potential prejudicial effects of unprecedented courthouse security.
Another issue in Chauvins appeal was that one juror had participated in a civil rights event commemorating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s March on Washington a few months after Floyds death. Prosecutors urged the Supreme Court not to give Chauvin a do-over, stating that he received one of the most thorough and transparent criminal proceedings in the history of this nation.
The Minnesota Supreme Court could agree to hear Chauvins appeal, but if it does, it would ask each side for detailed briefs and later set a date for oral arguments. Alternatively, it could let the Court of Appeals ruling stand as the final word.
After his conviction on the state charge, Chauvin pleaded guilty to a separate federal civil rights charge and was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison, which he is serving in Arizona concurrent with his state sentence. Three other former officers who assisted Chauvin at the scene are serving shorter sentences for their roles in the case.
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